Fuel exchanger device



Feb. 23, 1965 s. WAGNER FUEL EXCHANGER DEVICE Filed Sept. 19, 1962 muuu INVENTOR.

Samue/ Way/ver' BY f oRNEx/s United States Patent O 3,170,495 FUEL EXCHANGER DEVICE Samuel Wagner, 2405 Hillsdale Drive E., Brookfield, Wis. Filed Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 224,706

3 Claims. (Cl. 141-388) This invention relates to a fuel exchange device and to a method of transferring uid fuel from one motor vehicle to another.

The situation frequently arises Where a motorist traveling along a highway runs out of gasoline, or other' liquid fuel, Without having a reserve can of fuel to fall back upon. In such cases, even though a passing motorist is willing to `spare some of his own fuel, the task of siphoning the fuel out of one tank and into the empty tank is a diiiicult one, at best. Police cars frequently `carry with them a spare can of gasoline for the purpose of assisting motorists in need of gasoline, but there are certain hazards attendant upon carrying a spare can 'of gasolinein the trunk of a police car, since the trunk also may 'enclose electrical devices, such as radio and radar equipment, capable of causing explosions if the gasoline fumes should accumulate in the trunk space. Since this has actually happened in many instances, and since, even in the absence of the explosion hazard, unpleasant odors of gasoline are likely to become disagreeable to the occupant of a car carrying a spare gasoline can, considerable resistance on the part ofthe police to carrying such spare cans of gasoline in the trunks of their cars has arisen.

The present invention eliminates the hazards of such procedure and makes it possible for police cars, as well, of course, as private cars, to perform the acts of kindness to other motorists with great ease and with no attendant risks. My invention provides a fuel exchanger device in the fuel line betweenthe motor and the motor operated means for pumping fuel from the tank of the car to the motor. The fuel exchange device suitably comprises a multi-passaged valve, a flexible tube for connection between such valve and the -tank of the other vehicle, and a union, or the like, for attachment of-the flexible tube to the valve and so constructed that by the very act of attachment, the valve is operated to establish ow cornmunication from the lfuel line of the one vehicle through the flexible tube to the fuel tank of the other vehicle.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a new and improved system for exchanging liquid fuel between two motor vehicles, employing the motor of one of the Vehicles for transferring the fuel from that vehicle to the second vehicle.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a fuel exchanger device for use in the transfer of liquid fuel from one motor vehicle to another, in accordance with which upon making the necessary connection, flow communication is established thro-ugh the fuel line of the one vehicle into the fuel tank of the other vehicle.

Other and further important objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a p-artly schematic elevational View of a system embodying the principles of my invention; and

ice

n ected in-to the air intake 14 leading to an internal combustion engine 15. A conventional air cleaner 16 lters the air as it is drawn into the intake, or throat, 14, where admixture with the liquid fuel from. the carburetor 13 takes place, With the engine 15 in operation, fuel i-s Idrawn from the tank 12 through the line 11 under the action of the pump 1h and discharged from the pump 10 through lconfirmations 11a and 11b of the fuel line 11 into the carbure-tor 13.

In accordance with the principles of my present invention, a fuel exchanger device, indicated generally by the reference numeral 20 is positioned in the line 11a- 11b between the fuel pump 19 and the carburetor 13. Said device 20 suitably takes the form of a multi-passaged valve having an elongated body portion 21 defining an axially extending passage 22, and a second body portion 23 at right angles to the first body portion 21 and providing an Iaxially extending passage 24 in flow communication with the passage 22. The feed line extension 11a connects into the passage 22 at the lower end thereof (as viewed in FGURE 2) through a transverse passage 25 that is also in iiow communication with the axially extending passage 22.

Gpposite ends of the body portion 21 are similarly constructed and similarly provided with manually operated valves, of which the upper valve, as Vshown inFIG- URE 2, is identified by the reference numeral 26 and the lower valve by the reference numeral 27. Said valve 26 comprises a stem portion 28, to the outer end of which is attached a handle 29 having upstanding Wing portions Sti to facilitate manual operation. Said stem 28 extends through a conventional packing gland 31, beyond which the stern 28 is externally threaded, as at 32, for threading engagement with an internally threaded portion 33 of said passage 22. The lower end of the stem 2S is tapered yas at 34 for seating in a seat 35 formed by a conically reduced portion of the passage 22 beyond the connection with the transverse passage 24. The valve 27 is similarly provided with ay tapered end portion 36 for seating in a conical portion 37 located in the internal passage 22 above .the side opening connection 25, as viewedin FIG- URE 2. The valve 27 thus controls the ow of -fuel from the lfuel line extension 11a into the lower portion of the axially extending passage 22, while the upper valve 26 controls the flow of fuel from the upper end of the passage 22 into the portion 11b of the fuel line leading from the device 20 to the carburetor 13.

The transversely extending body portion 23-is provided with a threaded counterbore 4t), coaxial with the transverse passage 24 therein, for threadingly receiving an externally threaded end 41 of a union fitting 42. Said union fitting 42 serves to provide a connection between the passage 24 and a flexible tube 43 that my invention provides for the delivery of liquid fuel from the tank 12 of the one motor vehicle to the empty tank 44 of a second motor vehicle.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, a valve assembly, indicated generally by the reference numeral 45, commonly known as a Schrader-type of valve, is positioned in the transverse passage 24. Said valve assembly 45, as is common in this type of valve, comprises a threaded end portion 46 for threading engagement with the correspondingly internally threaded portion 47 at the outer end of said passage 24; a tapered intermediate portion 49, usually of resilient material such as rubber, for wedging engagement in a correspondingly tapered portion 50 of said passage 24; and an inner end portion 51 attached to a depressible plunger 52 and carrying an annular valve 53 normally seated against the end of the continuously passaged body 54 of said valve assembly 45. The outer end, 5,6, of said plunger 52 extends outwardly of the threaded runion fitting t2'is provided with radially extending end 46 of said valve body S4iand is depressible, against action of a spring (not shown) to space the valve 53 from the end of :the valve housing 5d, as shownA in FIG- URE 2, and thereby `opensaid valve assembly. For accomplishing the 4depression of said plunger52, the threaded end il of said fitting 42 is provided with a cross-bar, or spider S7, which, when the union fitting 42 is threaded home, automatically depresses Ythe extended end 56 of said plunger 52 and opens the valve byV unseating the valve 53 from its seat against theend of the housing 54., The arms 58 to facilitate the turning of the union Vfitting into plunger-depressing position.

`With the valves 2d and 27 both vopen, fuel flow communication is 'established between the feed line extension 11a and the further extension 11b so that when the engine 15 is running, fuel is being pumped by the pump l@ from the gasV tank 12 through 'the feed lines 11, 11a and 11b into the carburetor 13, and thence through the throat M into the engine 15. This, of course, is norm-al during operation of theV motor vehicle of which the engine 15 is a part.

When i-t isdesired to transfer fuel from vthe tank 12 of the one motor vehicle into the fuel tank 44 of a secondV vehicle, the union fitting d2, which may be connected but non-operatively connected to the multi-passaged valve,

assembly 20, is manipulated to thread home the threaded portion 41 of such union fitting and thereby depress the plunger 52 `of the valve assembly 45 through inward movement of the extended end 56 of said plunger by contact with the spider or cross-bar 57 `of the union. When in .the open position, as shown in FIGURE 2, and with the flexible tube 43 extending into the gas tank 44, operation of the engine i5 suffices of itself to transfer gasoline from said fuel tank ft2 into the fuel tank t of the second motor vehicle. The valves 26 and 27 are left open under these circumstances, sol as to keep the engine 15 running, but a portion of the supply of fuel entering the axially extending passage 22 flows out through the transverse passage 24 `and through the passaged housing 54 of the valve assembly 45, and through the union fitting 42 tinto lthe flexiblev tube 43 and thence into the gas tank 44 of the second motor vehicle. n

In this way fuel may bereadily transferred from one motor vehicle to a second one, without difficulty and without any hazard to the operator. quired of the operator are those of threading home the union ltting 42 and positioning the free end of the iiexible tubing 43 in the gas tank 4d of the secondmotor vehicle, using the fuel spout (not shown) for that purpose. The valves 26 and V27 ordinarily need not be operated, being left open at all times, except when repairs becomev necessary or it is desired to dis-assemble the valve assembly 45. y

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

The only acts reyI claim as my invention 1. n a system for exchanging liquid fuel between two motor vehicles each having a fuel container, a motor, a

Vfuel line therebetween and rno-torl'operated means for pumping fuel from said, container through said line to v said motor,

w a fuel exchanger device comprising ya multi-passaged valve in the line of one of said vehicles, andV a flexible tube for connection' to saidV 'valve with its delivery end in the tankA ofV the other of said vehicles whereby the pump of said first vehicle can be operatedrto cause fuel from said one line Ito be pumped into the containeriofsaid other vehicle.

2. In a system as defined by claim 1whereinfy Y the muiti-passaged valve Vhas Vav depressible valve and f a union is carried bythe valve endfof saidexible tube and is provided with *a detent `for `depressing' said depressible valve'upon connection thereto.'` 3. In a system fortexchanging liquid'fuel between two motor'vehicles, each such vehicle having an internalfcombustion engine, a fuel container, a fuel line from said container to said kengine and pump means operate-d by said engine forV pumping fuel from its container through its f f corresponding linerto its corresponding engine,

a fuelexchanger device comprising/a'multi-passaged valve in the line of one of said vehicles, said Valve having a through pass-age Vfor continuous passage kof, fuel from the fuel container of said one vehicle to the enginethereofv and having a valvec'ontrolled by-pass, and Y i a flexible tube Vfor connection to said valve Vwith its delivery end in the fuelV container' of the other of said vehicles and with its receiving end connected to said by-pass passage, whereby the pumping means ofsaid first vehicle canbe loperated when said bypass Valve is open to cause-fuel from s-aid line of said one vehicle to be pumped into ythe fuel container of said other vehicle.

References Cited by the-Examiner UNITED STATESY PATENTS LAVJERNE' D. GEGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SYSTEM FOR EXCHANGING LIQUID FUEL BETWEEN TWO MOTOR VEHICLES EACH HAVING A FUEL CONTAINER, A MOTOR, A FUEL LINE THEREBETWEEN AND MOTOR OPERATED MEANS FOR PUMPING FUEL FROM SAID CONTAINER THROUGH SAID LINE TO SAID MOTOR, A FUEL EXCHANGER DEVICE COMPRISING A MULTI-PASSAGED VALVE IN THE LINE OF ONE OF SAID VEHICLES, AND A FLEXIBLE TUBE FOR CONNECTION TO SAID VALVE WITH ITS DELIVERY END IN THE TANK OF THE OTHER OF SAID VEHICLES WHEREBY THE PUMP OF SAID FIRST VEHICLE CAN BE OPERATED TO CAUSE FUEL FROM SAID ONE LINE TO BE PUMPED INTO THE CONTAINER OF SAID OTHER VEHICLE. 